Well I guess I should look at what was big throughout the 80's in NZ considering how I did the same for Australia on this site, at least this list will be more straightforward as (at least as far as I'm aware) there wasn't more than one chart chronicling what was popular over in NZ like there was here in Australia.
Even though their biggest hit is a remix of a track from their infamous 1997 album with the Wu tang clan in NZ, Texas did have a decent hit with their debut single over there likely due to how well it was received here in Australia as well as their native UK upon its initial release. As such, they remain a two-hit wonder over there like they do throughout the rest of the world with these two songs.
#95 for 1989
This was one of two hits that Mick Jagger was able to achieve from his solo debut album in NZ, we'll get to his other big hit from the album on the following list, however it's worth noting this only barely missed the cut on making it on the Australian side of this site given how this was a minor success here as well.
#96 for 1985
Remember how I said earlier that several songs charted this year for seemingly no reason? This is another case of a song becoming a success for a second time for reasons I described in the Joy division entry where I brought this phenomenon up. I guess this came back due to this being the height of Duran Duran's popularity worldwide.
#94 for 1984
This was the only other song that the Holidaymakers released during their brief time together before they called it quits, it was a hit for them in their homeland which begs the question as to why they didn't even attempt to keep their momentum going after this.
#84 for 1988
This is another song that technically became a hit twice in NZ, once upon its initial release likely due to its success in the UK (despite this being yet another EDM track from an American group which bombed on Billboard) and the second was a few months later for some random reason as I can't figure out why it saw a surge in popularity so late into its chart run over there.
#96 for 1989 (#41 website)
Much like here in Australia, this was the only hit that Stevie Nicks had in NZ without Fleetwood mac, although I feel this was more a hit over there due to the presence of Tom Petty given how much more popular he was during the first stretch of the decade compared to everywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, Stevie wouldn't have much luck with her albums either as they too bombed in NZ.
#99 for 1981
We have another disco refugee making it big this year during the genres supposed dark age, this time it's American singer Forrest who covers the Hues corporation classic from a decade prior which became a surprise success in the UK which in turn allowed this to become a moderate success over in NZ.
#89 for 1983
How has it taken me this long to feature what is arguably one of the most quintessential tracks of the 80's on this site you may ask? Well, it turns out this was a bit of a dud for the Weather girls upon its initial release given how it was a huge flop in their native America and was only a modest hit in Australia and NZ (too modest for my Australian list for this year.) It didn't become a classic until the following year where it was a surprise hit for them in the UK, likely due to its wacky music video.
#90 for 1983
This is another surprise for me given how after "Walls come tumbling down," this is considered one of the signature tracks from the Style council from their catalogue. At least it was a decent success in NZ as well as their native UK which is far more than I can say for how it did here in Australia where it was a complete bomb for the band.
#91 for 1983
This was the only hit single that China crisis had anywhere in the world, although I get the feeling it was only a success in NZ due to their album being a surprise hit over there due to how big the indie scene was throughout the decade. This was a huge dud for the band in their native UK, likely due to it being a bit ahead of its time to appeal to their fellow Brits.
#97 for 1985
Not only was Gwen Guthrie able to score a massive chart topper with her earlier entry on this list in NZ, but she also managed to score a second hit over there with her cover of the Carpenters classic that put that duo on the map seventeen years prior. This would be where her winning streak came to an end as everything else she released would crash and burn regardless of where in the world you’re from.
#91 for 1987
I'm a bit surprised this wasn't more of a hit in NZ than it was here in Australia given how this is a reggae cover of a Cat Stevens classic, then again, Maxi Priest in general didn't see much more popularity over there than he did over here as he didn't score any hits over there that he had over here.
#85 for 1988
I guess the trade-off for her earlier entry on this list not being as big in NZ as it was here in Australia was for Yazz to have a second hit over there in the form of this original track of hers, indeed this proved to be just as infectious as her signature track even though it was much less successful over there and in her native UK as well as it being a bomb over here.
#97 for 1989
This was initially a dud for Evelyn King in NZ upon its initial release the previous year, however it was given a second chance this year when it became a surprise hit for her in the UK of all places much like several other songs from musicians of colour that bombed in their native America over the years. Even then, this was another sleeper hit for this list, so it's not like it was that popular over there.
#92 for 1983
Given how No doubt made these guys cool when they covered what many consider to be their signature track "It's my life" in 2003, you'd think that would've been the bit hit that Talk talk had back in the day. Alas it wasn't as they only had one other hit over there with that not being it, also this was only a sleeper hit hence why it appears so low on this list.
#93 for 1983
Even though Genesis overall had less success with their singles in NZ than they did here in Australia (barring their earlier entry of course) they were able to find moderate success with this track from Invisible touch largely thanks to its (in my opinion) highly disturbing music video which has some of the most grotesque puppets in existence that loosely resemble 80's celebrities.
#92 for 1987
You'd think that if I was going to feature a song from Johnny hates jazz on this site (side note, I can't even with that name) it would be "Shattered dreams" as that was their big hit in America and their native UK. Alas that was too minor a hit to be considered for the Australian side of my site and the kiwis went with their second single instead as that didn't even chart over there.
#86 for 1988
Given how this was released as the fourth single in NZ instead of "When I fall in love," it makes sense that this would be the bigger hit of the two over there even if it was less popular there than the other track was over here this year. As I mentioned, this was the second single he released in America due to it retaining the same energy as his top entry on this list, thus becoming his second consecutive chart topper on Billboard.
#87 for 1988
This was one of only two hits that Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark (OMD for short) were able to achieve in NZ and indeed the southern hemisphere back in the day, this is curious considering how many hits they racked up in their native UK and that their brand of new wave would've been a shoe in for success during the height of MTV.
#87 for 1982
This was too minor a hit to appear on the Australian side of my site, however it managed to crack the NZ top ten this year which means it was elligible for this list for both Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross. This would be the last hit for the former anywhere in the world whilst the latter would of course return two years later with her magnum opus "Chain reaction."
#95 for 1984
This is the final song that Split Enz released in their career before officially calling it quits, although I'm actually more familiar with the Crowded house version from their debut album as Neil Finn would rerecord this track with them despite not releasing that track as a single from that album.
#96 for 1984
This was far less popular in NZ than it was internationally, in fact it didn't even begin to become popular until the early months of this year as opposed to it already being a top ten hit over here the previous year and a chart topper in his native America. Either the kiwis were quickly becoming fed up with his brand of RNB or they really didn't like the film this was attached to (which won him an Oscar no less.)
#91 for 1986
It's odd that this would be a minor hit for Whitney Houston in NZ given how A: it was her first chart topper here in Australia and B: the kiwis usually didn't have an issue with handing out massive hits from albums even if they were to the fourth or fifth single from said album like we Aussies did. In any case, this would be her second big hit over there out of three for the 80's.
#92 for 1986
This was the second single to come from Prince's Sign ☮ the times album, this was far more conventional than his earlier entry due to the presence of Sheena Easton who is curiously uncredited on this track despite this clearly being a duet between the two singers.
#93 for 1987
Given how this was one of the biggest hits of the year here in Australia, it makes sense that this wouldn't see any issues with crossing over to NZ especially considering how Ian's former bandmate Jimmy Barnes was finding a ton of success over there with his own solo material. Sadly, this would be the full extent of his popularity with the kiwis as the album was a huge flop over there.
#98 for 1989
Whilst overall Robert Palmer saw significantly less success in NZ than he did here in Australia, he did manage to have one of his songs be a bigger hit over there with that being the lead single to his sixth album Clues which stuck around long enough to become a hit over there when it was only a sleeper hit at best over here.
#100 for 1981
We have a second E.P to become a success in NZ from the Clean, although it wasn't nearly as popular as their earlier entry hence why it appears much lower on this list.
#88 for 1982
This will be the final entry from Bananarama on this side of my site as none of the other singles from their fourth album Wow managed to make a splash for them in NZ like they did here in Australia, although it's worth noting that this was an immediate hit for the girls over there as opposed to being a massive sleeper hit for them here in Australia. I guess they considered it to be an unofficial sequel to "Venus" with the video.
#94 for 1987
Whereas this was easily one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, it appears the kiwis weren't that impressed with this unofficial sequel to "Addicted to love" like we Aussies were given how much lower it appears on this list compared to the Australian side of my site. Then again, at least this did become a minor success over there which is more than I can say for its success in his native UK.
#88 for 1988
There was not stopping Pet shop boys in NZ or their native UK this year as the lead single to their third album was a huge hit for them in both countries, I'm guessing this was due to them incorporating Latin elements into their sound which helped it stand out from their previous material. This would unfortunately be their last hit in NZ save for their collage they made for fans of Absolutely fabulous.
#89 for 1988
Although this was still less popular in NZ than it was here in Australia, at least this managed to chart higher over there than it did over here which goes to show that were it not for all the stiff competition she had to face at the time, Kylie could've had her songs be more popular over there than they were over here.
#90 for 1988
Well, this proved to be far less popular in NZ than it was throughout the rest of the world, I guess the kiwis weren't as into this horror track turned workout jam as we Aussies were given how it only barely managed to reappear on this side of my site. Naturally this meant that Michael wasn't able to score any surprise hits over there which is usually the case for international one hit wonders with his background.
#94 for 1983
Unlike here in Australia where Madonna was welcomed with open arms from the very beginning, it appears the kiwis were a bit more sceptical towards her brand of dance pop given how much less popular this breakthrough single was for her over there. Heck her debut album wouldn't even touch their charts until the following year when her sophomore effort took the world by storm.
#97 for 1984
So, it turns out these guys had one more hit in NZ after all as this managed to squeeze onto this list despite the stiff competition it had with all these "fan singles" that were clogging up their charts throughout the decade. This was OMD's big hit in their native UK which is perhaps how it managed to crossover to NZ this year even if we Aussies once again ignored what they had to offer.
#93 for 1986
This was another moderate success that Herbs managed to achieve in their homeland this year, although their winning streak would run out by the end of the decade likely due to the novelty of their work with Dave Dobbyn running out by then.
#95 for 1987
And we have yet another alternative track from a British band on this list, this time it's from This mortal coil (I get the lore behind the band name but still, I can't even with it) who took the kiwis by storm with this entry despite it being a massive flop for them in their native UK.
#98 for 1984
This was the third single to come from Alison Moyet's solo debut album, it was much less of a success than her two earlier entries likely due it not connecting as well with the kiwis as those two tracks did. I would also blame album sales except that didn't stop several other songs from highly successful albums from appearing on this side of my site.
#98 for 1985
This was sandwiched between Miami sound machine's two earlier entries on this list; indeed, this was a fantastic year for the Latin band given how Australia was one of the few countries in the world where they didn't find much success with these songs. Sadly, this would be the full extent of their popularity in NZ, however Gloria Estefan would find further success over there in the 90's like she did worldwide.
#94 for 1986
This was a hit twice in NZ throughout the decade, this entry of course covers the first time it was a success for Grace Jones as the kiwis made it a decent success for her upon its initial release. This is another example of them coming across an indie artist and making them a household name despite how much of a failure they were on an international level.
#101 for 1981
Much like the rest of the world, this was a passing the torch moment for both artists involved in NZ given how Roberta Flack had a massive hit over there with "Killing me softly with his song" whilst Peabo Bryson would go on to have massive success with his Disney ballads throughout the 90's. Again, this song underperformed mainly due to how much of an outlier it is compared to the rest of the list.
#95 for 1983
Given how their previous album Red sails in the sunset was a complete dud in NZ, it figures that this would struggle to find success over there for Midnight oil even if it did stick around long enough to qualify for this list of mine. They would of course explode in popularity with their earlier entry on this list likely due to the themes of aboriginal rights connecting better with the kiwis than us Aussies.
#96 for 1987
I guess the kiwis weren't as impressed with this breakthrough single from Europe as the rest of the world was given how this struggled to reappear on this side of my site, although again, it did stick around long enough to qualify in the end which is why it's here. Once again, I have no idea why this wasn't the big hit in America given how "Carrie" (their actual big hit) flopped everywhere else in the world.
#97 for 1987
So it turns out I jumped the gun when I said that Belinda's earlier entry on this list was her only hit in NZ, although it's hard to say if this was a genuine hit for her over there or if it was a "fan single" that just happened to get lucky in appearing on this side of my site due to how chaotic the charts were this year. I'm a bit surprised this bombed here in Australia as I do occasionally hear it on oldies stations.
#91 for 1988
Well, this is a surprise, namely because we have one of only two entries from the Pet shop boys on this side of my site that saw more success here in Australia than it did in NZ. This did seem like the kiwis were fed up with the duo, however as we saw from our earlier entry, they were still on a roll which makes this a mere stumble in their winning streak over there.
#98 for 1987
Mel and Kim were on a roll this year when the title track to their one and only album became a moderate success in NZ, indeed it was even a minor hit here in Australia and likely would've matched its success were it not for the strong album sales eating up its success. Rest assured if it were a hit down under, its video would be a shoe in for my weirdest videos list due to the strange marionettes of the girls.
#99 for 1987
It looks like Pink Floyd managed to achieve a second hit in NZ given how the kiwis allowed the lead single from A momentary lapse of reason to become a success over there when it was a massive failure everywhere else in the world. This is another song where it's difficult to tell if it was a success or if it was a "fan single" on this list due to how chaotic the charts were this year.
#92 for 1988
This was the only notable success that both the Beat masters and Cookie crew were able to achieve anywhere in the world, even then this was more due to them being at the right place at the right time as this brand of acid house was able to fit in with all the other dance tracks that made it big in NZ and their native UK this year.
#93 for 1988
Well at least this was a genuine top ten hit in NZ as opposed to it only making the cut on the Australian side of my site due to how long it lasted in our top twenty, either way, this debut single from Toni Childs was able to allow the folk singer/songwriter to join the ranks of Tracy Chapman and Melissa Etheridge as the leading forces of down to earth female musicians going into the 90's.
#94 for 1988
Honestly, I'm surprised this underperformed here in Australia for Motley Crue, granted they did see plenty of success with their album of the same name which perhaps explains why this was a flop here, however I was expecting it to be somewhat successful here like it was in NZ for the hair metal band. Naturally these guys were far more successful in their native America than they were internationally.
#99 for 1989
I guess the kiwis weren't as humoured with this parody of "Beat it" as we Aussies were given how much less popular this was over there compared to over here, although Weird Al would eventually score that massive hit with the kiwis with his next MJ parody "Fat" four years later even though that underperformed on our charts.
#99 for 1984
This had one of the most arrogant marketing campaigns in the band's native UK as it was touted as "the next number one hit" when it was released as a single over there, hilariously it stalled at number two for the band which of course was nothing to be ashamed of but made it all the funnier when that happened. In NZ, it was merely a decent success due to the stuff competition it had over there.
#99 for 1985
This is where it becomes obvious that the charts were completely chaotic in NZ as I can't tell if this was a "fan single" for the Power station or if it just had the misfortune of being shunted aside by all these "fan singles" we're looking at on this list alone. Either way, this did catch the attention of the kiwis likely due to the success that Duran Duran was having around this time.
#100 for 1985
This was the first solo single from Bryan Ferry to chart in NZ, I bring this up because he was easily one of the biggest artists of the 70's here in Australia despite not having a single hit with his band Roxy music until "Jealous guy" in 1981. I guess this is a sign that the kiwis wanted to hear more from him given how his band was no more, however that doesn't explain why this bombed here in Australia.
#101 for 1985
This was the only notable success for Pepsi Demacque and Shirley Holliman AKA Pepsi and Shirley, a British duo who I'm guessing was meant to serve as competition to Mel and Kim given how it was two women from the dance scene of the day. It's little surprise this caught on in NZ given how big it was in their homeland; however, it was also inevitable this would be their only hit in both countries.
#100 for 1987
This is another song that I'm surprised wasn't a genuine hit in Australia back in the day given how much you hear it on oldies stations to this day, although at least it did pop up briefly in the upper echelons of the NZ charts to become a hit as well as lasting on their charts overall long enough to qualify for this list. Admittedly it was heavily delayed over there likely due to it flopping multiple times down under.
#100 for 1984
This was the final single to come from Please for the Pet shop boys, it did decently well in NZ where album sales rarely affected the success of its singles, but it wasn't the showstopper that their earlier entries on this list were.
#95 for 1986
Even though this managed to crack the NZ top ten for T'pau, it appears that it came at the expense of it quickly dropping out of their charts which is why it retains such a low placement on this side of my site. That said, this did lead the band to finding success the following year with their UK chart topper "China in your hand," meaning they're not a one hit wonder over there like they are here in Australia and America.
#101 for 1987
In a bit of a bizarre twist, it turns out that Toto had several minor hits in NZ over the years including this lead single from their second album Hydra which was able to retain their popularity they achieved the previous year from their debut album over there. This would explain why they saw instant success with their signature track "Africa" over there despite the rest of the world delaying its success.
#90 for 1980
I'm not that familiar with the Young ones (I'm more into the likes of Fawlty towers and Allo allo when it comes to British sitcoms) however it appears that it was so inescapable in NZ of all places that one of its stars Alexei Sayle scored not one but two hits over there and nowhere else in the world. This was the first of them which became a success there when co-star Neil scored a huge hit in their native UK.
#101 for 1984
Given how singles from highly successful albums were barely impacted in NZ compared to here in Australia, this allowed Tears for fears to score a third hit over there with the fourth single from Songs from the big chair. That said, it did seem to struggle with all the "fan singles" over there, hence why it appears much lower than it probably deserves on this list.
#102 for 1985
This was the only hit that the Angels managed to achieve in NZ throughout their career, they achieved this likely due to it being pushed as the lead single over there instead being pushed as the third single like it was here in Australia. The album also did decently well over there, suggesting that the band finally got their big break with the kiwis which unfortunately didn't last for very long.
#102 for 1987 (#40 website)
This really struggled to appear on this side of my site due to how much competition there was on the NZ charts when this came out over there, however it did stick around just long enough to qualify for this spot likely due to the Bangles being on a roll internationally. They did come close to having "In your room" appear on here as that too saw a lot of stiff competition over there.
#95 for 1988
If you thought it was bizarre that Stock Aitken and Waterman managed to score a hit in NZ as a lead artist, it turns out they managed to score a second hit over there as this also managed to become a moderate success with the kiwis. I think I understand now why there was so much backlash against them back in the day when they were able to chart both as lead artists and with such a lucrative clientele.
#96 for 1988
It appears the kiwis weren't as impressed with this second single from the trio's third album as we Aussies were, likely due to them struggling to accept the premise of a copout chorus which Sting claims to be the reason why said chorus in this track is complete nonsense. At least the rest of the world was on board with this premise, hence its international success.
#102 for 1981
It took me far too long to figure out why this was a moderate success in NZ for Ennio Morricone this year, it turns out there was a popular British show by the name of the Life and times of David Lloyd George that used this as its theme song. This is bizarre considering how this was originally composed for an Italian film Maddalena and was later used in the French film Le professionel.
#89 for 1982
While as far as the rest of the world is concerned, "Hold me now" was where it all began for the Thompson twins, in NZ this was the beginning of their popularity likely due to the presence of Alannah Currie who was a former NZ journalist before joining the band shortly before this was released as a single. That said, it was a bit of a sleeper hit as it charted on the lower half of their charts for quite some time.
#96 for 1983
Not only was Malcolm Mclaren able to score a massive hit in NZ with his earlier entry, but he scored a second hit over there with what wound up being his biggest success in his native UK. Even though he appeared on Countdown this year, it appears we Aussies weren't that impressed with his more eclectic music hence why neither of these songs appeared on that side of my site.
#97 for 1983
This came really close to appearing on the Australian side of my site given how this was quite the hectic year for music down under, alas it was too minor of a hit for CCR frontman John Fogerty here despite it cracking our top ten back in the day. Heck, I'm only allowing it on this side of my site as it's even harder for me to determine what a "fan single" is over there from around this time.
#103 for 1985
Given how this was easily one of the biggest hits of the decade here in Australia, it makes sense that Wa wa nee (what even is that band name?) was able to find crossover success in NZ even if it was quite pitiful compared to what they achieved here. Indeed, they're a one hit wonder over there as neither "Sugar free" nor "I could make you love me" managed to even touch their charts.
#96 for 1986
Well, this is certainly a surprise, we all know that Stock Aitken and Waterman are the men behind some of the most iconic (and some might say irritating) songs of the decade, so to see them as a lead artist on this list was certainly shocking for me to behold. Naturally this often gets buried when looking over their work given how much bigger their work with Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley was.
#103 for 1987
"Stop" was only a modest sleeper hit in NZ this year, however the kiwis were far more impressed with the second single from Sam Brown's debut album as it's her take on the Marvin Gaye classic from the early 60's. This allowed the album to become a massive success over there thanks to her love of 60's RNB being recognised by the kiwis by this point, however she still remains a one album wonder over there.
#100 for 1989
This is where it all began for Pat Benatar as it was the lead single to her debut album, it for some reason was a massive flop in her native America which would explain why it was only a sleeper hit for her over in NZ as well as a flop here in Australia. I'm a bit surprised that she didn't find more success in the southern hemisphere given how well beloved she remains on oldies stations to this day.
#91 for 1980
I guess the kiwis weren't too big of fans of 9 to 5 as the rest of the world was, either that or they were thoroughly unimpressed with the title track from Dolly Parton given how low it appears on this list despite it being a Billboard chart topper for her. In fact, Dolly in general saw less success in NZ than she did internationally, I don't know why as she peaked during the height of female country in NZ.
#103 for 1981
Not only was this delayed in NZ despite it instantly becoming Cliff's biggest success here in Australia upon its initial release, but it only became a success over there when his earlier entry on this list became an instant success with the kiwis. I guess this goes to show that they vastly prefer the crooner's ballads than they do his more upbeat material even if "Devil woman" was a considerable hit for him over there.
#90 for 1982
Of all the movies I keep coming across whenever I research the 80's, Breakdance is among the most prevalent despite it being panned by critics, although it was a huge box office success meaning audiences seemed to like it fine. Indeed, the soundtrack was a huge success worldwide, and even the title track managed to become a hit in NZ and the UK of all places.
#102 for 1984
It's a bit weird that Janet Jackson's breakthrough single is different in NZ to what it was here in Australia, this is because the kiwis passed up "What have you done for me lately" in favour of the second single from her breakthrough album Control which admittedly is way funkier and showcases her personality much better. Neither of these songs was the biggest in her native America off the album as that honour goes to "When I think of you."
#97 for 1986
This was the second chart topper in a row for Joy Division following the news that they had reformed as New order this year, just like their earlier entry, this also recharted many times throughout the decade over there likely to keep the memory of Ian Curtis alive as the rest of the members saw massive worldwide success with their new endeavours.
#104 for 1981
It looks like these guys were able to achieve a second hit during their time together in their homeland, although given how there's no horrifically dated CGI in the accompanying music video, it didn't stick around for quite as long meaning its success was purely through the dulcet vocals of Margaret Urlich.
#98 for 1986
This is one of many Prince tracks that became a success over in NZ that were massive flops for him here in Australia, this was the final single off his album Sign ☮︎ the times which is perhaps why it appears so low on this list as this was right before he released his earlier entry on this list.
#97 for 1988
Here's that gender swapped cover of the Beatles classic I mentioned earlier on this list, it managed to barely make the cut on this list due to it lasting just long enough in the RIANZ top ten this year to do so despite what I'm sure were savage protests from Beatles fans that this was ruining the fab four's legacy.
#98 for 1988
Of all the songs to appear on this side of my site from the Cure, I wasn't expecting it to be a remix of one of their earliest singles even if its success was due to how big their greatest hits album was this year over there. The original version did chart at the start of the decade, however it was a flop for them just like everything else they released up until this point.
#99 for 1986
This is another song I'm surprised bombed here in Australia back in the day considering how much love it receives from oldies stations to this day, however it had more success over in NZ hence why it manages to appear on this side of my site. Climie Fisher consists of vocalist Simon Climie and former Naked eyes member Rob Fisher who went their separate ways not long after this came out.
#99 for 1988
Well, this is a surprise, mainly because this managed to chart higher in NZ than any of Johnny Diesel's singles from his debut album here in Australia even if that meant it didn't last as long on their charts as it did on ours. Much like the Divinyls from earlier in the decade, it appears that this was a success over there due to the kiwis passing up on the album which was a massive success here in Australia.
#101 for 1989
Knightshade was a NZ hair metal band who managed to score a moderate success with this number just as the 80's was coming to an end, who knows how much more successful they would've been in their homeland had they broken through sooner than they did.
#102 for 1989
This was another sleeper hit in NZ this year that managed to make the cut for this list, this one coming to us from Don McLean eight years after his magnum opus American pie despite it originally being released two years prior to deafening silence. If you can believe it, this took off in the UK of all places before finally finding success in his native America the following year.
#92 for 1980
This saw a rerelease the previous year in NZ presumably to mark its twentieth anniversary which makes sense given how it was a huge hit back in the day (at least according to the Listener charts it was) however it was given a second chance during this year's Christmas where it became a surprise success over there for some reason.
#100 for 1988
This was only barely a hit for U2 in NZ, I'm guessing because the kiwis weren't big fans of B.B King's involvement on the track given how the soul legend wouldn't achieve full appreciation from them until his collaboration album with Eric Clapton from over a decade later.
#103 for 1989
It's odd that this was much bigger here in Australia for Kim Hart than it was in her native NZ, granted that might be because she performed this on Countdown where it was well received, however you'd think her fellow kiwis would've been more supportive of the rare disco track that came from their country than we Aussies were. Not surprisingly, she's a one hit wonder in both countries due to the lack of support she had at home.
#93 for 1980
This was too minor of a hit to appear on the Australian side of my site; however, the kiwis were able to make this enough of a success for Culture club for it to squeeze onto this list of mine. Admittedly it was the fourth single from an already highly successful album by the time it was released, hence why we Aussies and kiwis passed up on it for the most part.
#103 for 1984
This is a parody version of the Deane Waretini entry from earlier on this list from a NZ radio DJ, naturally it was a moderate success despite how clearly in poor taste this song was even back then.
#105 for 1981
I bet you weren't expecting me to feature a single from Iron maiden on this list, were you? It turns out this was a big hit in their native UK which encouraged the kiwis to follow suit in giving them their first hit single six years after their breakthrough album. We Aussies completely ignored this album cycle, likely because we had long since moved on from these guys since their appearance on Countdown.
#101 for 1988
This really struggled to make it onto this side of my site for Joan Jett and company, however this did stick around long enough on the NZ charts to make the cut even if the kiwis weren't as impressed with this cover of the Tommy James hit as we Aussies were. You can't really say it was due to Countdown as her episode was towards the end of the year when this dropped off our charts.
#91 for 1982
This often slips under the radar when it comes to David Bowie's catalogue, namely because it was commissioned for the long-forgotten film Falcon and the snowman which I don't hear any 80's afficionado talk about (hence why I'm not going to bother talking about it on this list.) Honestly it feels like this was a hit more due to him being on a roll in NZ than anything else.
#104 for 1985
Considering how inescapable this was here in Australia as well as the rest of the world for Kim Wilde, it's a bit surprising to see that this was only a sleeper hit at best for her over there even if this was what ultimately got her out of the one hit wonder bin following the success of "Kids in America" from earlier in the decade. For what it's worth, the original was a bigger hit in NZ according to the Listener charts.
#104 for 1987
Shalamar were able to escape the one hit wonder bin in NZ that "Second time around" threatened to trap them in at the start of the decade with this jam from the Footloose soundtrack, this is what plays when Ariel and company are dancing at the drive-in theatre which makes it the perfect rebellion anthem to play when out of touch authority figures try to dictate to you what you can and can't do in life.
#104 for 1984
This will be the only appearance from Julian Lennon on this side of my site, mainly because this is the only success he had over there as none of his other singles or albums managed to even chart over there barring "Too late for goodbyes" which of course bombed there. This is in stark contrast to how well he did here in Australia where his success rivalled that of his father (if we're talking about his solo career.)
#105 for 1985
This barely managed to make the cut on this list due to it lasting just long enough in the upper echelons of the NZ charts to do so, it's a single from the Mocker's breakthrough album that I'm sure would've done much better in a year where the wasn't so much competition in the mainstream.
#106 for 1985
One of the more prominent indie bands of the 80's was the Pogues, they will be making two appearances on this side of my site beginning with this E.P they released this year that appealed to the kiwis likely due to the strong Celtic influences throughout its runtime. Their other big hit was the Christmas classic "Fairytale of New York" which occasionally recharts during Christmastime in recent years.
#100 for 1986
As it turns out, R.E.M managed to score a few hits in the 80's over in NZ even if they were minor hits and thus will appear towards the bottom of these lists moving forward. This was the song that put them on the map over there which was a complete bust here in Australia despite now being heard on our oldie’s stations, likely as a way to atone for how long it took us Aussies to make them a household name here.
#102 for 1988
This was the first notable success that the Chills were able to score in their career, it came months prior to when they scored their real success with their Lost E.P which put the NZ band on the map.
#105 for 1984
#107 for 1985
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